


Kingdom of Heavens~

by mkhhhx



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Centaurs, Eventual Smut, Fairies, Fauns & Satyrs, Historical Fantasy, Jester!Jooheon, M/M, Magical Creatures, Minhyuk must be protected at all costs, Past Abuse, Stableboy!Changkyun, Tags Are Hard, There is a dragon, Violence, aristocrat!Minhyuk, blacksmith!hoseok, mage!Kihyun, palace au, prince!Hyungwon, probably, soldier!Hyunwoo, there will probaly be more dragons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-08-21 22:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8263022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mkhhhx/pseuds/mkhhhx
Summary: Hoseok arrives at the palace, with perfect timing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written anything like that before, I'll try various things and have fun doing it. 
> 
> Also, more tags and characters shall be added later~~

-Do you know how to read or write?  
-No.  
-Do you know how to count?  
-No.  
-Do you know about music?  
-No.  
-Do you know how to bear a sword?  
-…No…but…  
-Then why the hell are you wasting that precious time of ours?  
-I know how to make weapons.  
Whispers filled the spacious room but he did not dare lift his head. Last time he did, maybe about fifteen minutes ago, he was met with a kick to his side, added to the one his stomach received, after he forgot to address a man as “your majesty”.  
He couldn’t have guessed that this man was the prince. He looked too young and lost in thoughts to have any authority. 

Not much time passed until a voice he had associated with the mage’s was asking him questions again. It was a weak voice with a light tone, so he concluded that the man was a puny one.

-Why does a shepherd know how to make armor?  
-I am not a shepherd sir. I am the son of a blacksmith.  
-Why are you dressed in rags?  
-Your soldiers gave me these clothes, after taking mine, sir.  
This time he was afraid the soldiers were gonna break his ribcage for good with their heavy boots.  
He wanted to curse, they didn’t even make any effort to use their hands, that’s how lowly they thought of him.  
He kept looking at the tiles, memorizing the patterns and the colors to keep himself entertained and trying to ignore the pain when an other voice, hoarser took the previous one’s place.  
-So you requested an audition to determine whether you are capable of joining the royal personnel?  
“The royal slaves” he thought while lifting his head a little and despite his long and oily bangs limiting his eyesight, he saw the person talking, nested in the golden throne in the middle of the room, so he addressed him correctly to save his remaining ribs.  
-Yes, your majesty. I want to work as a blacksmith.

He heard laughter behind his back. He was skinny, dressed in rags and scruffy but he could open the chains tying his hands and legs at any moment as much as he could crush the jaws of each and every of the soldiers standing in a row behind him.  
But he needed to be on their good side. Every night, he could hear the executioner, breaking bones and skinning the other prisoners alive. And he was pretty sure most of them had done nothing more than talk back.  
He hoped that when his time came, the executioner would make a mistake and kill him instantly. But it was not his time yet.

The kid throwing bread in the cells wasn’t older than fifteen. When he talked to the poor soul he knew they were equally scared to be there.  
So somehow his desire to get out reached the higher-ups and this morning, two armored men opened up his cage, checked his chains and clothes and literally dragged him inside the palace. 

He noticed the sudden changes of the flooring, from dirt to stone and finally to white and blue marbles.  
The moment he was forced to kneel down, he was also ordered to keep his head to the ground and he mentally promised to thank the kid somehow at first chance. He waited motionless for a big amount of time inside the hall, enjoying the warm sun on his back, almost making him sleepy.  
The heavy wooden doors opened accompanied but trumpets, announcing the arrival of “his majesty” and the rest of the royals. 

He didn’t really care about them but he noticed that the king was away on some expedition and his first-born son took his place. In the room, there was also an aristocrat named Lee Minhyuk as well as the Mage of the palace.

When the laugher calmed down, he slightly lifted his head and let his gaze fall on the aristocrat. He was wearing light blue clothes, standing next to the throne, one hand resting on the prince’s shoulder and the other holding papers. There were legends, that only the purest descendants of the royal families, had skin fair and clean, hair white as the pure snow and the blood running in their veins was as blue as the rivers. No person could match their beauty. Judging from what Hoseok was seeing, those weren’t mere legends.

He was taken aback, when his subject of observation started talking, with a voice soothing and melodic, like a lullaby.  
Despite his nature, the man wasn’t talking as formally as the others.  
He explained that his request would soon be studied and discussed by the council and he would be informed of the outcome. 

“They’ll feed me to the hounds” was the most pleasant of his unpleasant thoughts.  
He felt the footsteps from the other side of the room, the higher ups leaving and four strong hands pulled him back on his feet.  
He didn’t dare look around one last time, but with every step to the dungeons he missed more and more the warm sun, creating dancing shadows on the floor.

He was once again locked and was crawling to his favourite spot. Someone had left a pile of clothes while he was away, in a worse condition than his own, if that was even possible. He drew closer and was about to touch the dirty pile, when it started moving. He took some steps back, two eyes watching him from the dark corner between almost torn clothes.

He waited a long time to discover his roommate was not the talkative one, always curled like a pile of dirt on the corner. He looked younger, the black circles and bony hands adding him years.  
Hoseok remembered he had some leftover bread and pointed at it. The kid followed his hand with sharp eyes but he somehow shirked even more, almost becoming one with the wall.  
He was just on the spot where humidity formed frozen pools with mold and Hoseok wanted to advise him against sitting there, unless his plan was to become ill.  
In the short time he was in the dungeon, he had already heard two other prisoners cough until there was no voice left inside them and died from high fever some night.

At last, after days of silence, Chan, that was his name, started eating and talking. He was a much better company than the rats and the cockroaches and could take his mind off the screams and crying.  
Τhe kid was only seventeen and Hoseok prayed for him to get out of there the sooner. He had done no wrong.

-Why are you here? Did you steal anything?  
-No, nothing bad, I swear.  
-Then?  
-Mother and father have gotten sick and I came seeking for my brother, maybe he can lent me some money, to pay the doctor and make medicine for them.  
-Where is your brother?  
-He has joined the army! Two years now. They told me to wait here to see him…  
He kept on talking for much time, for his brother and the letters he send but never got any answer, for the shining armor he would be wearing and the trophies he would bring back home after conquering faraway lands.

It was a shame, that soldiers just like his brother did nothing more than harass the poor, burning their villages, raping their daughters and feasting on their livestock. Such a shame.  
Chan kept talking about his own dream of becoming a soldier as well, to join his brother’s battalion and send many letters about their adventures to their parents. Maybe, he said, they could even earn enough money to have a painter make their whole family’s painting, a gift for their mother. Just like his old dog, who knew nothing more than wiggling his tail and being content with just a touch. Chan was just like that.

Their friendship didn’t last long. He had engraved only six lines on the wall, one for every meal they received, when he woke up alone in the cell. Like in a dream, stuck in his brain the kid’s screams repeated again and again. It was the first time the executioner unlocked the cell.  
He could hear crying for hours, maybe for days, maybe it was real, maybe was going crazy. He banged his head on the wall until he lost his senses. 

He was waking up and falling asleep, the smell of vomit and blood filling his breathing space, with seeing the sun again being his only hope.  
His eyesight has gone blurry and his skin was pale, just like a ghost. He wouldn’t be heavier than one either.  
Thirty eight lines on the wall and after that he lost count. He was almost used to the shouting and crying and somebody’s blood crawling under his door. Like there was nothing before or after, this was his life, miserable and static. He could only dream of the sun, until he woke up with the light of a candle somewhere outside.

He was sleeping, almost peacefully when his door was wide open with a kick. He wished it was the executioner, but the man was wearing an armor.  
Before he could comprehend what was happening, his hands and legs were lighter, the chains discarded on the floor. His movements seemed unnatural without the extra weight.

-You’re free. And the hoarse voice was music to his ears.

~~~

Fire was mesmerizing for him. He sat for long hours in his father’s shop and looked at the woods burning. Sometimes, he was trying to lift the hammer, still too big for his hands.  
His father laughed and messed his hair.  
“When you start growing a beard like mine, you’ll start taking care of the workshop.” He said before sending him back to the house, to eat with his mother. 

From time to time he found other kids on his way back and they all stayed out to play, until their mothers started opening the doors and shouting.  
Luckily, his mother never hit him much. He managed to quickly hide under the table. After lunch, he was out again, to the hennery or to their goats, even if he had just wore clean clothes.  
Sometimes he went to the market to find his aunt who was selling vegetables and fruits and treated him apples. He was munching smiling widely.

His friends made fun of him because of his big ears but he knew that all the girls dreamt of marrying him, because he would become the stronger man of the village.

Every afternoon, the kids gathered around the elder to hear their stories, about kings and queens and wars. For creatures hidden deep in the forests, horses with horns and lions with eagles’ heads and many more. Hoseok promised to travel and see them all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

-Promise me not to get mad…  
-You know I will.  
-It’s nothing serious, really.  
-If it was “nothing serious”, you would have told me half an hour ago.  
-Look…you heard about that hunting trip three days ago. The one my father and his friends dragged me to.  
He nodded.  
-We followed the river, from the outskirts and we kept by the bunk for many hours. Do you know that the river splits into two and forms a lake at some point?  
-Keep talking.  
-Yeah…a dragon nests there, not a big one...like those your father hanged on the great hall, don’t look at me like this. And…we killed her, they killed her, with arrows. It was horrible. I think they took her horns, I wasn’t looking.  
-You didn’t wound the animal yourself?  
-No but…but when they were ready to head back, I stayed because my horse was thirsty and I found…  
The prince was nervously moving around the chess pieces in front of him.  
-If it’s really what I think it is, I am required to inform you that your father is going to hang you from the highest tower for the whole town to see. As idiotic as I find you, burying you would not be the most pleasant. 

Minhyuk grinned walking to his bed. He crouched, with half his body under the bed and tapped his fingers rhythmically on the wooden floor, until something bright blue jumped on his lap.   
-You really did this…  
-Look at him, he’s so tame.  
Hyungwon drew closer to examine the creature, munching on his best friend’s fingers.  
He had never seen an alive dragon before. It had blue scales, ranging from an almost white snout to a dark blue tail. It had vivid emerald eyes and two small horns decorating its head. Its tail ended up like a fish’s and there were pellicles between its thin legs.   
Being as big as a cat it didn’t look like it could harm a person. 

-Splendid. When are you leaving it back?  
-I’m keeping him!  
-You know you can’t.  
-Why?  
-There is a reason dragons are killed.  
-Because people are lustful, that’s the only reason.  
-It’s gonna grow up….  
-I…I’ll see about that.

The prince was not the type to argue much and even though Minhyuk could be in danger with his moronic actions, he wouldn’t push it further. So he poured more wine in his cup and leaned back leisurely.

-What do you think of the peasant we auctioned today?   
Minhyuk let the creature climb on the bed with him, hiding between the silk sheets.  
-He doesn’t look dangerous. But he is lying.  
\- I think so too. Why would someone decide to trespass into the city from a hole on the walls and not go from the main entrance?  
-Many people come to work these days.  
-He didn’t have any papers, only a knife.  
-I can’t tell. He is so malnourished, I bet he can’t even lift hay for the horses. Let’s leave it to the council.  
-But he was handsome, wasn’t he?  
Minhyuk silently agreed, although his mind raced elsewhere.   
They passed their time until dinner observing and discussing, leant on the wide window overlooking the gardens. From the servants carrying parcels and running errands, to the ladies strolling with parasols, the most endearing of them shyly saluting the boys. There was always a slight bustle in the gardens, the palace after all, was a small town of its own. The lord’s kids were playing with wooden swords and the courtier played joyful melodies.   
Minhyuk took a couple steps behind, smiling to himself as the royal guards passed under his window, their commander, tall and muscular, taking long strides guiding his men to the main halls. 

~~~  
He woke up on dirt, somewhere around midday, if he could correctly estimate it from the sun. Sun? He recalled the morning. Getting him out of his cell and throwing him inside this building. It looked like a stable or a warehouse.  
His bones cracked trying to get up and walking without his limps tied together felt heavenly after such a long time. The place was big, dark and stunk. He walked to the door, just to make sure. There were stables just across the narrow road.   
Outside, there were people running to every direction, holding horses, other riding them and some carrying various goods on wheelbarrows. He had no idea what he was supposed to do, so he just stayed glued to the doorframe, watching and thinking. 

Every now and then, some servant would get a horse ready and guide it through big doors, seemingly confining the area.   
Did he have to talk to someone? Wait for someone to come to him? He decided to walk around. If he was lucky enough, he would be living there from this day and on. Or maybe he would be unlucky. He wanted to have a bath so badly, or at least shave and get a haircut. Most other male servants were bearded, but looked decent enough.  
Until the sun went down and the heat of the day was replaced by soft winds, he has walked through the biggest, or so he thought, part of the area. It was just like a village, surrounded by fields. A village made to serve the palace in every way. He assumed that all the royal servants lived and some worked here. There were countless storing rooms, with everything a man could imagine, from fruits of every kind to various meats, stored in salt.   
Even further, there were pigsties and henneries, standing next to a small building with closed door, people coming out of it covered in blood, the slaughter house.   
There were more fields, kennels, at least three different stable establishments and other buildings he would probably couldn’t even guess their usage. He even found running water to drink and wash his face.   
Soldiers and guards were walking and leaning on walls, chatting in groups or picking horses. Their armors were beautiful, from heavy steel plates, maybe too heavy for a man to carry around but their swords were not well made. The handles sleeper from cheap materials and the pointy ends, not sharp enough to cut through flesh with ease.   
Whoever made this, was either a plain amateur or just sucking money from the palace for his moderate work.   
He didn’t really believe that he would be permitted to work as a blacksmith but to be let without chains, some usefulness would come out of him.   
He spotted easily the gates, the stables and the building he had woken in. Getting inside there was not a single trace of life, save for a pile of clothes, folded next to a wall.   
The place was much bigger than he first expected it to be, a door locked on one side and hay stowed everywhere around.   
His stomach was protesting, where did servants eat? Did they eat at all?  
The hunts ate better than the servants that was for sure.   
He went outside again, there were less people around, limited to those returning horses to the stables. The palace was beautiful, the rooms being illuminated one by one, from the gates to the towers. Hawks were exploiting the last rays of sunlight to fly back to their owners, the knights. He laughed at himself. Those were only fairytales, the knights with their servants and hunting hawks. Stories for the little kids. But he was a kid no more and he didn’t knew were the hawks were going. Or if knights existed, for the matter.   
The darker, the more quiet if got, exept the neighing and his stomach. He decided to ignore the latter, and sit leaning on the doorframe again, watching a torch slowly burning on the gates.   
He was shaken awake hours later, deep into the night, whispers dancing around above him.  
-Are you new here? Or just decided to sleep on our door? At least come inside.  
Strong hands held him up and pushed him inside, while he was rubbing his eyes. Two boys were in the room, the one holding a torch, dressed in simple yet clean clothes and the other wearing colorful cloths, hat and pointy shoes. They couldn’t be much older, both smiling at him.  
One walked to the wall, gathering and piling up hay. The other was more talkative.  
-So, who are you?  
Hoseok introduced himself and described pretty much how he ended up there. The other started talking after him. His name was Jooheon and his friend was Gunhee. They were both bought by the palace, from their poor families, when they were young. They started working at the kitchen and Gunhee stayed there, now responsible for a part of the food supplies as Jooheon started performing as a Jester around five years ago, after being in favour of some high class ladies. He was indeed joyful enough to be in such a position.   
Hoseok kept listening until Gunhee called them.   
-You look hungry.  
His stomach answered before he could decline the flask with bread and cheese the other gave to him. After thanking them again and again, they shared it and fell on their beds, Gunhee was good at making them comfortable, covering the hay with rags.

He was about to drift off when a figure passed the door.   
He made a move to stand up but Jooheon’s hand was on his shoulder.  
-No need, that one doesn’t talk.

~~~  
Bloody knees and scratched elbows for days, one after the other. He was tall enough to be able to get on the horse but not experienced to actually ride it. It was a present from his father, for his thirteenth birthday, despite his mother’s disapproval. With the help of some friends they made reins from leather stripes and he managed to make a saddle out of old cloths.  
The horse was still young and wouldn’t take any orders from the young man. It took months of patience and back pains to tame it enough for riding.  
It was a male horse, light brown with short and thick legs, just right for the muddy terrain of the village and even the snow. Its mane was short and his fur dense and warm.  
A year soon passed and he could ride comfortably around and out of the village and a year more until he first found his favourite place.  
He was far from the village, not going anywhere in particular. The elders had warned him but still, he went into the forest, following the sound of running water.  
Sun was low at the horizon when he stopped at a glade, a few meters apart from the most beautiful lake he had ever seen, clear waters, framed with waterfalls, the scenery quiet yet vivid.  
He tied his horse next to the water and took off his clothes. He stayed at shallow waters, he didn’t know how to swim but the water felt so good on his body.  
Getting out of water he froze. His clothes were nowhere to be seen. He searched around and finally thought of getting back naked. Not his choice of preference.   
-If we give you your clothes back, do you promise to come here often?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your feedback, I'll try updating this weekly~


	3. Chapter 3

Four soft knocks on the door.  
-Who is this?  
-Come inside, Minhyuk called without answering the other.  
Seeing the visitor, Hyungwon closed the book he was holding with a look of disapproval and walked to the door.  
-This is my cue to leave I guess.  
He signaled for the boy to stop bowing in front of the door, leaving with his long night robe waving with his every step.

-Come here little one, tell me how you are doing. The aristocrat opened his arms for the smaller figure to fit perfectly into his embrace.  
-I am doing well my lord.  
-Stop calling me that, I was given a name for a reason.  
-It’s not right…  
-Of course it is, Changkyun.  
The boy was poorly dressed, but groomed and clean. He was short and sunk in the other’s lap, his hair petted and his back caressed.  
-Somebody came yesterday, at my place my lord. The other two had him sleep close to them.  
-I know, Hyungwon took a liking on him and gave word to set him free.  
-The prince is so kind, like you my lord. Please talk to me about your day.  
Minhyuk rested his chin on the boy’s shoulder and turned to kiss his cheek.  
-I want to see you smile.  
-If your father, or the king, or anyone really learn anything, about me being here so often about…him…  
he pointed at the dragon sleeping on the bed, nested on a pillow.  
-We’ll run away together and live in the villages.  
-But Minhyuk…you are the royal assistant…  
-Come on, let’s play chess.

~~~  
He was wondering for a long time in dark corridors before he decided he needed someone to talk to. Someone who was trustworthy. He started climbing up stairs and more stairs, often stopping to catch his breath or enjoy the view from the tiny windows. The afternoon sun made the fields look like seas of gold and green.

When he finally stopped in front of the tiny old wooden door, he was hesitant to knock but it opened from inside with a soft creaking sound.  
The man was dressed in all black and even a black spacious hood. He stepped inside the room, which smelled like a hundred different things at once, the jars on the walls with their deviant contents sending shivers down his spine.  
A few candles provided enough light to clearly see the other man’s features, especially the mage’s hair. Hyungwon tried not to laugh but failed, imagining the other’s hair just from some tufts straying out of his hood. 

-Kihyun what happened to your…  
The mage was not well known for his patience and composure, so the irritated tone was expected.

-I was making a potion for your uncle who started going bald, decided to test it on myself and accidentally put more frog tongues than needed inside.  
-Gross.  
-You didn’t come all the way here to talk about this.  
The prince’s smirk left his lips as he started knitting his fingers anxiously.  
-I am afraid than Min will get himself in trouble sooner or later.  
-I know everything already.  
-If anybody discovers the…the…  
-The dragon? You know my child, everybody has a purpose to live for.  
-A purpose?  
-You are a prince fitted for the palace. But he will be the prince of the commoners. 

~~~  
-Hoseok, Hoseok!  
He had already learnt how loud and excited was Jooheon in every situation and given time. But watching him run towards him, in the middle of the day, calling his name with no apparent reason was something else. 

Hoseok straightened up and searched for his shirt. He used it rather to wipe his sweat than get dressed. The last three weeks, he was working in the fields and combined with eating better, thanks to Gunhee bringing them back treats from the kitchens, he had gained back some of his muscles and stamina.  
He was waiting for Jooheon to calm down.

-What happened?  
-I have splendid news!  
Hoseok nodded.  
-Tell me then.  
-I spoke to a lord about you. Told him you are a blacksmith with experience and he took interest at you making him a new armour. 

Hoseok was about to hug him but the younger took his hand and started running back to the stables, talking excitedly at the same time.  
-You need to get clear clothes, get washed, gosh you need a haircut, you need to be presentable to meet him tomorrow morning.  
Too much information, for his brain to process, he didn’t even know where they were going. Jooheon guided him, at the stables’ area, until they were standing breathless in front of a small wooden house.  
The younger knocked repeatedly the door and almost made the man who opened lose his balance jumping on him for a tight hug.  
-Seungkwan, it’s been such a long time! This is my friend Hoseok, you need to make him look human again, he will speak with lord Namjoon tomorrow. 

Hoseok examined the space. There was a big mirror on the floor, a bunch of scissors and blades on a counter and two buckets filled with water. Near the wall, a simple bed made of hay and a nightstand with some papers.  
He stepped inside, smiling to the overly friendly barber who was honing a blade.  
Back home, he had had to shave only a handful of times and he always had his father’s help.  
Now, following Seungkwan’s directions washed his face with water and sat perfectly still as the blade danced on his cheeks and near his lips. He watched his long hair falling to the ground, his head getting lighter with every chop of the scissors. He was silent, interested in the two men discussing everything, from some lady Bora’s new haircut to the kings expansive war plans. They were both servants well liked in the palace and given a bit of freedom, to move around, to talk, it was much more than most would even ask for. 

When finally he was informed that his grooming session was over, he turned around to look at the mirror. His black hair was back to short, his sideburns trimmed, his face clean and his smile wide.  
He looked at the barber, waiting for him to finish talking with Jooheon.  
-I don’t have anything to pay you with…  
The man laughed good-heartedly walking to stand in front of him.  
-When Namjoon pays you, make a new pair of scissors for me, something delicate, will you?  
~~~  
-Hey, hey don’t cry. You’ll be wearing nice clothes, expensive perfumes, just do what they ask you to.  
-I don’t want to be here.  
-Your parents sold you like everyone here, they don’t want you.  
-They didn’t…the soldiers just took me…  
-From where?  
-From the place I lived, near the market. I don’t have any parents, I was just helping the marketers and they let me sleep somewhere warm.  
-If you do as you’re told, everything is gonna be fine, even if you don’t want to do it, you have to be patient. What’s your name?  
-Changkyun.  
-I’m Taehyung, call me Tae, I’ve been here for a couple months, look…the boy showed him a pouch, coins clinking from inside as he moved it.  
-Do they pay you?  
-Not really, but when the masters are content with my performance, they leave me some coins. When I have enough, I’ll get my own horse!  
-What kind of things do they ask for?  
-You…you will learn soon.  
Changkyun got his own room and every morning he learnt to read and write with the other kids. It was the first time in his life he had a pair of shoes and a place to eat every day. The palace seemed like a small paradise, except it wasn’t.  
After a couple of weeks, his tutor called him after the lesson. He told him about some lord and gave him directions about the room. He had to be there late in the afternoon.  
The only thing on his mind, was his own pouch, which would soon be filled with coins and they would go hunting with Tae.

He knocked on the door before entering the room. Its owner was one of the king’s cousins, at the moment resting on his armchair.  
-Good evening my lord, did you requested my service? He tried to speak clearly but his throat felt dry watching the man shift on his chair.  
-I haven’t seen you before. Are you new?  
-Yes my lord, I’ve been only for a couple of weeks here.  
-I don’t like talking, come here, take off your clothes. You are quite young aren’t you?  
He froze watching the man’s smirk. Of course he didn’t have any other choice.  
Early at the morning he went to his lessons, at the evenings he visited the lords and every night he cried himself to sleep.  
But Taehyung helped him sew a pouch and his pouch was getting heavier and they would buy their own horses and run away together from the kitchen’s back door.  
Somewhere in the middle of winter, he first met lord Minhyuk.  
He was walking towards a room he hasn’t been to before, so close to the royal chambers. He wondered what this man would be like. Sweet and careful like some or rough and uninterested in him as a person like most?  
The door was half open so he stepped inside.  
The man standing before him was infallibly a member of an old aristocratic family. His hair white as the snow falling outside. His clothes made of the finest materials, blue with golden details. The room even had a big bookcase.  
He wasn’t exactly a man. More like a boy, a bit older from him. He stood in the middle of the room, bare-footed on the carpet.

-Good evening my lord, how can I be at your service? He bowed.  
-Me…? No, there’s some mistake.  
Changkyun looked at the man in surprise and continued anyway.  
-My lord would you want me to take off my clothes?  
-What? No, god no. You are here on my father’s order right? Of course. Come here.  
He tapped a chair behind him and sat himself on the bed.  
-What’s your name?  
-Changkyun my lord.  
-Stop calling me lord I’m only sixteen. Changkyun what?  
-The servants don’t bear family names…  
-Oh…that’s it. Let’s play chess, I love chess.  
It took Changkyun two weeks to win a chess game for the first time. Three months for Minhyuk to confess he let him sometimes just to see him smile. Minhyuk had a soft spot for him, he was an affectionate and caring lord. He was Changkyun’s favourite lord.  
They discovered everything about each other. Minhyuk’s sworn brother was lord Hyungwon, the prince and king to be. They grew up together and were inseparable, although Hyungwon loved fencing and hunting when Minhyuk preferred reading and writing songs.  
Sometimes he sung Changkyun to sleep, kept him away from all harm for the night.  
Minhyuk’s father was the royal counselor, a tough, scary man who wanted his son to be a blood-thirsty soldier. Luckily, he had more important things to take care than his son.  
When Minhyuk kissed him for the first time, Changkyun was scared, that once again he would be a toy in somebody’s arms. But there was nothing more, nothing bad or hidden. Minhyuk kissed him tenderly and promised to always love and protect him.  
And suddenly, Minhyuk was everywhere. In his dreams to wake up with a small smile, in his mind walking in the gardens, every flower a possible gift for the night, even in other people’s rooms, when he had to serve some other lord, there was only Minhyuk. And when he whispered his name on the king cousin’s bed, he expected the slap across his face but not the burning metal on his face.  
~~~  
The metal burning and flowing in the casts, the hammer on the anvil, all too familiar. Hoseok made swords so delicate that merchandisers and traders from far away villages traveled to bargain with his father for them. He had his father’s talent and something more. People soon spread rumors about the gods and the spirits of the forests blessing him with his abilities at forging the most beautiful yet charming blades at such a young age. These could be true.

He never skipped his short trip to the lake every afternoon. There were legends about the consequences of breaking a promise with the fairies and he wouldn’t want to prove them right. He gifted them with various foods and goods and they showered him in flattering. The fairies sat on his shoulders and legs and enjoyed his stories. They taught him to recognize the edible fruits of the forest and gifted him special herbs to make him stronger and healthier. 

Soon, the girls were lining up in front of his workshop’s window just to see him and the boys kept teasing him about his ears, but they were just jealous.  
He soon learnt how to swim and hold his breath underwater for a long time. The lake belonged to a water dragon, nesting in the bunks and occasionally watching him from afar when he was enjoying the waters. The forest creatures got used to his presence and treated him like someone special. The centaurs taught him the art of archery and when spring drew closer and the days got warmer, they let him climb on their backs for a ride. The fauns sang and danced with him, gifting the boy with a wooden flute, to play songs for the fairies. As winter came and the lake froze under the dark sky, he slept into the woods with the deer and his horse to keep warm and with the first rays of sunlight, he rode back to the village, to start a fire in his workshop. 

He was making daggers decorated with silver lions and golden flowers when the new first reached their village. But nobody cared about a war far away. About soldiers and kingdoms and the palace. They would be alright.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This late update is brought to you by my utter procrastination skills combined with midterm stress~  
> But anyway, I really like the way this one turned out.  
> Enjoy :)

The moment he stepped in the palace, the guards checked him for anything dangerous but he didn’t have anything else, apart from the clothes he was wearing, which weren’t even his own.  
The audition room didn’t remind him the previous one he’s been in at all. He stood in the exact middle, nervously chewing his nails. His clothes were lent from Gunhee, who also gave him instructions on his behavior, in order to give the best possible impression. The room was fairly small, with a circular short wooden table and two red armchairs coated with fine fabrics. 

When the lord finally arrived, he was just as Hoseok had imagined him to be. Short black hair and expensive clothes. He was quite young and didn’t strut like most of the palace’s inhabitants, he moved leisurely around the room before slipping in the armchair. Hoseok bowed before him and sat facing the man.  
-A jester told me about you, Hoseok is it?  
-Yes, my lord.  
-I am lord Namjoon of the Kim family, member of the royal court and council. But you probably don’t care about this. So, where are you from?  
He stuttered before thinking of an answer satisfying enough.  
-A village not worth mentioning my lord.   
The man didn’t look content but continued anyway.  
-As you already know I suppose, I’m searching for someone to forge me a new armor…  
Hoseok listened to every little detail with caution, it seemed like an ordinary armor, nothing he couldn’t do. The lord would provide him with a place suitable for the work and the necessary goods. He had two full weeks to complete the task, which was more than enough.   
As for the reward, it was not mentioned so Hoseok could only wait and see. Before leaving, the lord shook his hand smiling.

~~~  
-We can kill him.  
-We can mind our own work brother.  
-But think about it, he doesn’t have any other brothers, his father has fallen severely ill and our family is next in the succession of the throne.  
-You are already living a luxurious life, the crown would only bring more responsibilities.  
-I cannot understand you Namjoon.  
-You are blinded from the power you think you will gain, don’t you already have enough Seokjin?  
-You talk like an old man, you think you know everything. Now, please excuse me as I have a social gathering to attend. When you find it fitting to come to any of these, please inform me brother.   
The sturdy man buttoned up his gold-embroidered shirt and Namjoon followed the sound of his steps on the stairs until he was far enough.   
Lately, he found himself in his brother’s room way too often, trying to put some logic into his head.  
The kind was bedridden, at last the bloody expansionary policies would come to an end. Prince Hyungwon was an intelligent boy and with little guidance he could bring the peace and prosperity in the kingdom once again.   
He took a couple books from his brother’s shelves and headed to his room. It was dark outside and the music had just started, loud from the lower floors. The corridors were illuminated by torches and his room by candles scattered all over his furniture. He still had enough time until Taehyung came over to keep him company. 

~~~

Everything was too quick. The same afternoon after talking with lord Namjoon, while he was working, uprooting carrots, a soldier asked to be followed, as his workplace was ready. They walked through the stables and the gates, through the royal gardens, places Hoseok had never seen before. The soldier was talkative and informed him about the previous blacksmith, who died some years ago and after that, the guards, soldiers and rest of royalty purchased whatever they needed from the city. 

The workshop was a room, just like the one his family owned, the fireplace, the anvil, everything waiting for him.   
Thrown on the counter an old leather apron and gloves, worn out and burned on the fingers. He smiled as he could only remember all the pleasant memories the place triggered. Everything terrifying was inside a box, in a dark corner of his mind.   
He cleaned up and rearranged the place to make it of his liking, to collect all the forgotten tools around the floor and the counters. When he was finally content with the results, he sat on the floor to think about his plans for the armor. He never needed paper and ink like his father, every curve of the metal, every little design and passing from the fire, he could make a map of them in his mind.   
It was already getting dark when he decided to call it a day and come back the next morning to start working for real. He gathered his shirt and wore it, the night breeze sending shivers down his spine. He walked over the whole room one more time to make sure everything was in place, excited with the familiar scene. His stomach growling persuaded him to get out. Luckily, he knew his roommates would keep something for him like every night. 

The outside was quiet when two figures blocked his way.   
-Do you like the place Hoseok?  
The thirty seconds he needed to remember the familiar voice were enough to realize he could lose his head and so he kneeled down.  
-It’s wonderful my prince.   
-Get on your feet, this is not needed, the second man exclaimed, the aristocrat with the snow-white hair, dressed in light blue just like at their last encounter, contrary to the prince next to him, dressed in black and red velvet with golden decorating chains.  
He got up, still keeping his gaze to the pebbles on the ground. He couldn’t speak unless he was given the spiel but the men were just looking at him for a while.  
-I would like to converse with you, could we go inside?   
To the prince’s command, he rushed inside the dark and cold room, lighting up a fire.  
The white-haired man was the first to talk.  
-I am Minhyuk and this is prince Hyungwon, maybe you remember us.  
The man smiled sweetly, all white teeth and semi closed eyes.  
-I remember you my lord. He didn’t actually remember their names, as his bruising sides needed more attention at said moment, but who could forget such faces?  
But he was nothing more than a servant and he couldn’t find any reason for two members of the royal family to visit him in his newly-opened workshop, let alone speak so casually to him.  
-You need to know that Hyungwon has individualized you out of many others.   
The latter agreed nodding to the statement but Hoseok still couldn’t understand what was happening.  
The talking went on for long. The prince was more observing than talking, shaking his head and making small approval sounds. 

Lord Minhyuk asked him about literally everything trivial one might think. From his age to his favourite animal. Things that normally wouldn’t concern the lords. What was going on with the prince? Was he the reason Hoseok was still alive? Was he the one who decided to get him out of prison? So many questions.   
He looked the lean man across him. He was handsome, big eyes and soft hair, his face had sharp lines except his round cheeks. His clothes hugged his body in all the right ways and his heavy boots ruffled the ground while he moved his feet nervously. Was the prince nervous?

His trail of thoughts was cut off by the men standing up and announcing the end of their talk.   
-If lord Namjoon is pleased with your services, you’ll make an armor for me…maybe something else too.  
The prince’s voice was husky and alarming to his ears. He doubted the “something else” had anything to do with blacksmithing.   
When he finally returned back to his “home”, only one of his roommates was there. He thanked him for the clothes and the advises, they did pay off. They talked about their days. Meeting the prince was a bit more interesting than counting the monthly potato supply of the palace. They were both munching on pieces of cheese, magically appearing from the inside of Gunhee’s sleeves.   
Jooheon had a long night, as the infamous Kim family held again a great feast in the palace. 

~~~

-I could just call him into my room you know, I don’t care about his favourite horse color.  
-Don’t be such a savage…aren’t you gonna change clothes?  
-Nobody except you saw me wearing these, it’s alright.  
Minhyuk was trying to decide on his outfit for the night, balancing a dragon on his shoulder and three blouses on his hand, examining every line on them. Hyungwon had stopped commenting on his scaly little friend and it was a big progress. Sometimes, when the creature came close to him, the prince would even pet his head. 

-I’m getting bored of the Kims’ feasts. I understand that they are trying to marry their son but…we don’t need to dress up and get drunk almost every night.   
-I don’t like him.  
-Seokjin of the Kims? How come? He looks always so sweet, a true gentleman as they say, a worthy heir of their family. Are you perhaps jealous?  
-I’m not…maybe it’s just a stupid idea, just be vigilant with him.  
-Will do, now come on, just wear the blue one, your favourite, why are you taking so long, I’m hungry.  
Minhyuk let said piece of clothing on the bed and grabbed his dragon from the back of the neck, putting him in the wardrobe to keep itself entertained with the fabrics. His cheeks were a pale red, sign that he was blushing.   
-He will be there…  
Hyungwon smirked, suddenly feeling teasing.  
-Oh, who?  
-He…you know…the royal guards…someone told me they are invited tonight…  
The prince laughed and rolled his eyes, he wanted to understand this feeling sometime too.

The night was not as awful as he had predicted judging from the first few hours, when he was forced to sit between his father and some other old man and hear them talking about “slaughtering the remaining barbarians”. Hyungwon was seated on the head of the table, as the king was absent with the older of the Kims across him. The members of the royal guard were indeed there, at the further end of the table. 

Even without his heavy armour, Hyunwoo stood out from the rest of the muscular soldiers. His broad back and chest, his short hair which was never properly brushed, his smile that could light up the whole room, the scars starting from his torso and getting lost under his clothes. In Minhyuk’s eyes, he was just breath taking. The rumours said, that when he was a simple soldier, before joining the royal guards, he was so heavily injured from an axe on his chest that crows smelled his great loss of blood and waited four days and four nights for him to die. The fifth day, with his wounds still dump with blood, he stood up and rode his horse to the next battle.

The man was just a year older than Minhyuk. One of the few who knew about his passion for poetry and singing. But Minhyuk was an aristocrat’s son who inherited his place in the palace when Hyunwoo was a slave’s son, who fought and fought until he won his titles and the cape on his shoulders.   
As the royal guard leader, Hyunwoo was more and more into the matters of the palace. Minhyuk decided that when his friend would finally be crowded king, and himself the royal counsellor, the man would become his personal guard.  
The night turned to a very pleasant one, when Minhyuk turned around to glance at the warrior and found Hyunwoo already starring back at him. 

~~~  
The war was coming closer and closer each day. The travelers brought news every single day. Some nearby kingdom’s army was burning down whole villages, leaving neither women nor kids, butchering them up worse than animals. Hoseok couldn’t understand. This was way worse than a war. He could see the concern on the elders’ eyes, creeping behind his father’s wide smile when he reassured him that everyone was safe. 

He was spending time at the lake talking with all kind of creatures. He told to the fairies about his mother and aunt and all the girls in the village who couldn’t hold an axe or a sword, they should be protected. He asked the Centaurs who were old and wise, he asked even the dragon of the lake, who had an egg to look after now, he asked the forest spirits, why was the wall looming, they did nothing wrong after all. No answer was enough for him.

He started sleeping in his house often. Watching the older boys play with real swords instead of wooden ones, men throwing axes on the trees, the women and the kids inside.   
Often the air would smell of smoke, thick gray mist covering the clouds. He knew the time was coming and he was scared. A small village, axes and swords of a hundred men were nothing against the soldiers with their tall horses and shiny armors. They would come and wipe his beloved village off the map.

He was bare footed, playing with the water, the lake quiet as always. Suddenly, his horse was restless and the sky turned black. He wasn’t on time to protect anything or anyone. He wished for an arrow to hit him right then and there as he stood, watching the whole village getting devoured by flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3  
> Let me know what you think~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am like suuuuuper late and I don't have a proper excuse.  
> For anyone who waited for this chapter, firstly I'm thankful <3 and secondly sorry for taking so long.
> 
> Enjoy~

-The king is dead.  
-What?  
-Your father is dead Hyungwon.

The prince sat on the edge of the bed, watching the mage walk nervously across the room.  
-I finished with the necropsy a while ago. He was poisoned.  
-Poisoned?  
-Yes, in his food. There is a traitor in the palace, probably among the aristocrats.   
The young man hid his face in his hands, trying to clear his thoughts and focus on the situation.  
-What happens now Kihyun?  
-The funeral preparations have already started, your crowning will take place the following week and you need to be present at the council meetings regularly from now.  
-Where is Minhyuk?  
-I send his father to talk to him.

~~~

The news were spreading like wildfire. It was his third day working on lord Namjoon’s armor when Jooheon came inside the workshop and informed him. The king have died at his hunting trip this morning. He kept fighting with a dragon even after losing his sword and ended up passing away in the forest. A heroic death for sure. 

All citizens and even the servants were going to attend the memorial parade and then a few selected only the actual funeral. Jooheon told everything in one breath and rushed outside. The palace was unprepared for a scenario like this and Hoseok kept thinking about it until he was folding the iron in all the wrong points. His mind wandered to the prince. He was still pretty young, but clever and considerate. In contrary to his father, he was a good-hearted man, or so the rumours were. Power and time could change him and Hoseok had to just wait and see, as he was living under a new king now and the anvil played once again music to his ears. 

~~~

Curled near the corridor’s wall he could hear everything clearly, mostly the things he didn’t want to. If someone found him like this, death would be the most pleasant of the things that could come upon him. His eyes were red from crying and his cheeks from being hit. He could already feel bruises forming all over his body. But that wasn’t Changkyun’s main problem. It was lord Minhyuk, behind the door across him and the disgusting sounds of leather on flesh coming from inside. He tried standing and collapsed back down in a matter of seconds. His mind was restlessly trying to find a way to open the locked door but his body didn’t cooperate and everything went blank. 

Last night was nothing out of the ordinary. Lord Minhyuk wanted to pass it together and Changkyun after finishing his work in the stables and changing into a cleaner set of clothes headed to the hearty room. They stayed until late, playing chess and afterwards lord Minhyuk sang him to sleep with his sweet voice.

An unexpected knock on the door startled the two men, still tangled under the covers. Minhyuk rose to his feet and asked the visitor to wait, pointing to the general direction of the bathroom door for the younger to hide. And then, the door was open and Minhyuk’s father was leaning on the doorframe. 

The man never visited his son in his room. The last few years, the only interactions they shared were at balls and meals and periodically, when the older called his son in his own rooms, to advise or to berate him. The man was bad news.

Having still not fully entered the room, his eyes flew from Minhyuk to Changkyun and stared at the boy, breathing heavily. He took a few big steps and suddenly the servant was being lifted from his hair and out of the bed, on the floor. There were kicks and a sheathed sword breaking his ribs. Minhyuk was screaming his lungs out and that’s all he remembers before finding himself on the poorly lit corridor’s floor. 

The voices now were not recognizable, nothing like Minhyuk’s and maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. The wall felt more comfortable than every aristocrat’s mattress and the moment his head rested on it, he fell into a deep sleep.

Changkyun woke up much later in the day, judging from the low light coming from the nearest window. The room he was in felt oddly familiar, maybe because he used to have a similar one some time ago. He recalled it being Taehyung’s room, only after trying to stand and falling back from the pain. On a chair near the bed, Taehyung was sitting leisurely, looking at him. Changkyun met his eyes, wordlessly asking for explanations.   
-I found you upstairs, bleeding and called a doctor after bringing you here.   
-What happened with…  
-I think there are a lot you need to know about today.  
His voice was deep and calm, bouncing off the walls of the small room. His moved from the chair to sit on the bed, closer to Changkyun before talking again.  
-The king died this morning, on the hunt. That’s what they told us at least. 

Not the news he expected and neither ones he wanted to hear. Before getting his chance to protest, Taehyung placed a finger on his lips, shushing him.  
-Lord Minhyuk is imprisoned, his father dead. 

~~~

He always liked waking up a tad earlier than Changkyun. The servant’s face was relaxed when he was asleep, almost childlike and he always nuzzled near Minhyuk, responsive to slow kisses and caressing while slowly waking up. Quiet mornings like this had become more frequent lately, with the dragon resting on their feet, as big as his master now. The creature was awake, but didn’t move, seemingly enjoying the peace and quiet. Minhyuk noted mentally to bring some meat from the kitchens later. Changkyun clung onto him whispering a small good morning greeting. Minhyuk was wearing his favourite robe, while Changkyun was dressed in soft, woollen clothing. Gifting him with something more expensive and beautiful was a good idea.

He was startled by loud knocking. Hyungwon was never up so early and he hadn’t requested for anything to be brought to him. He asked for a minute to get dressed, asking Changkyun to take his dragon and go hide in the bathroom. Neither should be found in the room.

The answer was the door cracking wide open and his father, walking straight towards Changkyun, hitting the boy. Minhyuk pleaded the man to stop in vain, Changkyun being grabbed by the collar one last time and being thrown out of the room, the door locking behind him. He scanned the room panicked, the dragon nowhere visible. Scared and hiding probably. 

His father took his belt out and the scene was all too familiar.   
-I come here to talk about your new position in the palace and I find this? My son sleeping with a stinky servant? 

Minhyuk started counting the seconds to calm himself, for the first strike, the second, the third, until he lost count kneeling in pain. A blue mass moved quickly, from under the bed, on his father. There was blood, more blood that he had ever seen. The old man screaming, a wound on his stomach, his neck and his face. The dragon kept attacking to the lifeless body and Minhyuk was sure he could have prevented all this, if he wanted to. The scene made him nauseous and he tried to move further from the body. The dragon moved near and touched Minhyuk’s hand with his head, before crawling out of the balcony.

Heavy steps from outside, men in armours. A loud voice demanded the door to be opened and the soldiers found him soaked in blood, smiling. 

~~~

The sun was making it’s was down while Namjoon made his way up, to the higher tower. The castle was completely silent for the first time after many months of feasts night after night. The fireplaces were cold and only candles illuminated his steps. 

He knew Kihyun couldn’t hear very well and stepped inside without knocking, the door was always open. He looked at the jars around the room out of habit before sitting.   
The mage was already seated in his usual worn out armchair, two steaming cups on the low table between them. 

-I knew you would be coming sooner or later.  
Namjoon smiled. They were the exact words he heard when he was seven and had just lost the pet frog he begged Kihyun so much to take.  
-It was a big day.  
-I am aware of this dear.  
-Went downstairs?  
-I was in the king’s room with the doctor earlier.  
-What did the doctor say?  
Kihyun smirked.  
-What could he have said?  
-That the king wasn’t out hunting today.  
-Could be.  
-I fear it was my brother’s deed.  
-Could it be?  
-I hope not, but I am not sure anymore.  
Kihyun’s back cracked, the small man getting up to make more tea.  
-Truth can be found, if you search, but would it be wise to? Spending your precious time demanding answers instead of looking to the future? The past cannot be undone, cannot be forgotten, it shouldn’t worry you right now, as it will be the same tomorrow and the day after.

Kihyun never gave away the answers. Namjoon knew this and him all his life. At summer Kihyun strolled in the gardens and told stories to the kids. At winter Namjoon asked him for books to read and bats and mice to play with. At the great hall, beneath all the king’s portraits there is small painting of Kihyun, estimated to be painted more than a century ago and the man hadn’t changed a bit. Except his hair maybe, which was a strange pink last week and now back to the usual raven black. They spend their nights studying and discussing philosophical matters. The mage was one of the few people he completely trusted and appreciated.

The short man had the same look in his eyes like every other day, as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened.  
-Namjoon, what is your opinion on Lee Minhyuk?  
He was prepared for such a question but still stuttered. They were not close, but he knew the aristocrat for many years, just like his father. Lee Minhyuk was a nice person. He was often found in the library or the study rooms. He liked music and the arts. He was kind to the servants, the women and adored the kids.   
-I think he had his reasons. He couldn’t murder his father without reasoning. It wasn’t a rational action but wasn’t he hurt too when the soldiers found him?  
-His father was injured by some animal, but nothing was found nearby.  
-I am aware of the complexity of the situation. He may talk, he is good friends with the king isn’t he?  
-I hope he will be heard eventually…

Kihyun’s tone marked the end of their conversation. The old man would need to sleep anyway. Namjoon needed to talk with his brother as soon as possible but decided to leave the matter for the next day. He had to have his eyes and ears open for information, true or fake, both could be used. He knew where to ask for the time being.

He climbed down the stairs to the servants’ rooms. He opened the door, expecting to find nobody and instead meeting two gazes. A boy on the bed and Taehyung sitting beside him.   
-Good evening my lord, the latter bowed.  
-What happened? Namjoon pointed at the unmoving boy.  
-My lord, we can talk after closing the door.

~~~

He decided to stop feeling. When he searched for his loved ones in the ashes and when he was digging their graves. When he saw his demolished home and when he found a body inside the workshop. Everything was gray and black, dead and burned.

Every morning he searched around the village, hoping to find something, someone to wake him up from the nightmare. Every night he returned to rest beside the lake. His horse trotted lifelessly and the fairies sat beside him without talking. The centaurs looked at him with sympathy. He was staying awake, thinking again and again this day. If he was at the village, he could have saved someone, or he could have died in the flames or slaughtered like a pig. After feverish days and sleepless nights he decided that his life was meant to be used to avenge. 

He gathered his few belongings and bid goodbye to his village. He promised at the fairies to be back soon. He passed villages and cities, he sold his sword for a lighter one, in order to hide it between his clothes. Thieves and murderers wandered but nobody was worse than the soldiers. Some villagers knew about his village, others his father. He found a map and information about the army and its movements. He passed from other burned villages and found orphaned kids on the streets. Ten soldiers for each he promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So,what do you think about the turn of events?
> 
> //you can find me on tumblr under the same username :D

**Author's Note:**

> I'll do my best to update soon~  
> Thank you for reading. :3


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